


Long-Distance Bathing

by believesinponds



Series: Pimms Week 2018 [2]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Trans Kent, boys in looooove, comforting your bf after a bad game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-24
Updated: 2018-06-24
Packaged: 2019-05-27 16:33:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15028682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/believesinponds/pseuds/believesinponds
Summary: Kent helps Jack calm down after a bad game with a nice bath bomb and a talk about their future.[Pimms Week Day 2: Long Distance]





	Long-Distance Bathing

**Author's Note:**

> Pimms Week Day 2: Long Distance

**Kent**  
_you did good, zimms  
stop beating urself up—i can hear u doing it all the way from Vegas_

**Jack  
** _It was a shit game, Kenny. I could’ve played better._

**Kent**   
_it was shit because your teammates are shit_  
_not ur fault that none of them can make a good pass_

**Jack  
** _I’m the captain now. It’s my responsibility._

**Kent**  
_babe_  
_i’m sorry ur feeling shitty about it_  
 _can i help somehow?_

**Jack**  
_I don’t know._  
_It just sucks, you know? It fucking sucks._  
 _I could have been better._

**Kent**  
_do u want to talk about something else?  
or do u need five minutes to wallow?_

**Jack  
** _Five minutes._

**Kent  
** _okay. i’m setting the timer. i’ll text u when the five mins are over._

**Jack  
** _Thanks._

[…]

**Kent**  
_time’s up  
can i call you?_

**Jack  
** _Yeah._

“Hey.”

“Hey, _cariño_. Do you want to share a bath?”

Jack hummed. “Yeah, okay. Which bomb should I use?”

“Twilight. It’s the kinda pink-purple one. It’s supposed to be relaxing.” Kent grabbed his own bath bomb from the basket under his sink and dropped it in the tub that he had already filled. “You got it?”

“Yeah.”

The sound of running water came from Jack’s end. Kent put his phone on speaker and set it on a stool next to the bath before sliding into the warm, lavender-scented water.

Jack’s water shut off a moment later and Kent heard him step in and slide down, letting out a quiet groan.

“Better?” Kent asked.

“Yeah. Thanks, Kenny.”

Kent smiled and swirled his hand through the foam, watching the remnants of the bath bomb spin. “How were your classes this week?”

“Oh. They were fine. I like my American History class.”

“Of course you do.” Kent laughed. “You’re such a nerd, Zimms.”

Jack huffed. “Like you can talk. How’s that taking-it-for-fun statistics class going, Kenny?”

“Hey! I can use statistics for my _job_ , Zimms. Sports are all about stats.”

“Whatever, math nerd.”

“Fine, you caught me.” Kent shook his head, still grinning. “I’m a big old math nerd. But what does that make _you_ , Zimms?”

“A monkey’s uncle?”

Kent tipped his head against the wall and groaned. “Oh my god.”

“You love me,” Jack said, his voice teasing.

“Yeah, yeah. I guess I do.” Kent sighed dramatically. “At least we can be nerds together.”

“Our poor children.”

Kent’s eyes widened. “Our poor _what_?”

“Euh.” Jack sounded wary. “I just meant hypothetically, Parse.”

Kent rubbed the last dregs of the bath bomb between his fingers, concentrating solely on the feeling of the crumble. “You...want kids, Zimms?”

“I—not any time soon.”

“Obviously. You’re in school and then you’ll be playing and we can’t raise a kid when we’re both on the road half the time. But...someday? You want kids?”

“If you do.”

Kent let out a quiet breath. “Yeah.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, I do. Someday.”

“That’s...that’s great, Kenny.” Jack sounded like he was smiling again. “I do, too.”

Kent smiled along with him. “I want more cats, too.”

“Of course you do.” Jack laughed. “Fine, but we’re also getting a dog. A big one that will go on runs with me.”

“Deal. How many kids are we having?”

“Mm, I’m thinking maybe five or six?”

Kent choked on his own breath, his hand falling into the tub and splashing purple water all over his face. “ _What_?”

Jack was laughing loudly.

“Oh my god, you asshole!” Kent splashed some water at the wall, pretending he was aiming at his boyfriend. “You almost gave me a heart attack!”

“Sorry, Kenny.” He didn’t sound sorry at all. “I couldn’t resist.”

“God.” Kent snorted and shook his head. “I fucking hate you, Jack Zimmermann.”

“Nah, you love me.”

“Ugh, you’re right, I do.”

“I was thinking two. Maybe three.”

“That sounds much more reasonable.” He wiped a smudge of pink off the side of the tub. “Were you thinking we’d adopt?”

“Maybe. It’s up to you, Kenny. Would you ever want to...have a baby? Naturally?”

Kent bit his lip and touched his stomach. “I’m. Not sure.”

“Okay. That’s fine, bud, don’t worry. I don’t want you to do anything you’re not comfortable with.”

Kent let out a breath. “I mean, I’ve thought about it. And it sounds kind of cool. I just...I’m afraid that it will be a long nine months of dysphoria, and I don’t know if I can do that.”

“I would love to adopt children with you, Kenny. There are so many kids out there who need families. I would be happy to have a family with you in any way possible.”

“Zimms.” Kent smiled. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Kenny. And I’m gonna love you no matter what.”

“Even if I quit the NHL and become a statistician?”

“Of course, Kenny.”

“What if I decide I really do want six kids?”

“I will still love you.”

“What if I grow a third arm?”

Jack laughed. “Even then, bud. Although I’d suggest suing the state of Nevada for radiation exposure in that case.”

Kent laughed, too. “Okay, fine. Clearly you love me no matter what.” He sighed and sank down into the warm water. “I miss you.”

“I miss you, too, Kenny.”

“And I love you no matter what, too, okay?”

“Okay. Even if I grow a third arm.”

“Exactly.” Kent swished the water over his legs. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Zimms.”

Jack sucked in a breath and let it out slowly. “Me too, Kenny.”

“Good. Because I’m gonna propose to you one of these days and you better say yes.”

Jack chuckled. “Oh really? What if I propose to you first?”

“Well I’m obviously not going to let that happen, Zimms. I have a _plan_.”

“Mm. I guess we’ll have to see.”

Kent licked his lips. “You really want to marry me, Zimms?”

“Yeah. I really do.”

“When?”

“When?”

“Yeah. When do you want to get married?”

“I don’t know. I always thought we’d do it after I graduated?”

“Oh. That’s in like three years, Zimms.”

“Well. Yeah. But would you want to be married when we live across the country from each other?”

Kent let that sink in for a minute. “Are you thinking about coming to Vegas, Jack?”

Jack’s end of the line was quiet.

“Zimms?”

“I don’t know, Kenny. Maybe Vegas. Or maybe, like, LA or Phoenix or something.”

“If you sign with the Coyotes I will never forgive you, Zimms.”

Jack laughed. “Okay, not Phoenix then. I just...want to end up closer to you, you know?”

“Yeah.” Kent smiled. “That’s what I want too, _cariño_.”

“It would be cool if we played together, though,” Jack said quietly.

Kent’s smile widened. “Jack. That would be the best thing that could possibly happen.”

“You miss me on your line, eh?”

“Babe, you have _no idea_.”

Jack hummed. “I’ve seen how shitty Jones is. I’m not surprised you miss me.”

“Hey!”

“You know it’s true.”

“Yeah, but you don’t have to _say_ it.”

Jack sighed. “Things will settle down. The season’s still early.”

“That’s true for you, too, Zimms.”

“I know.” Jack just breathed for a minute. “Thanks, Kenny. You always know what to say to me, don’t you?”

“Well, it comes with the territory.”

“The boyfriend territory?”

“Um, I’m pretty sure we just agreed to get married, Zimms. We’re not just _boyfriends_.”

“What! Nobody actually proposed, Kenny.”

“Jack Zimmermann, will you—”

“Kenny!”

Kent was laughing.

“You little shit.” Jack was laughing now, too. “Let’s do the proposing in person, eh?”

“Fine. But don’t wait too long, Zimms, or I might beat you to it.”

“Mm, I’m not waiting. I’ve got a _plan_.”

“Sure you do.”

“I do!”

“Aww, are you practicing for the wedding?”

“ _Crisse_ , Kenny.” He could practically hear the eye-roll. “What am I going to do with you.”

“You’re gonna marry me, obviously.”

“Obviously.”

Kent glanced fondly at his phone. “I can’t wait, Zimms.”

“Yeah. Me neither.”

“You’re gonna be my _husband_.”

He could definitely hear Jack smiling. “Yeah. And you’re gonna be mine.”

“I can’t believe we’re old enough to be talking about _marriage_.” Kent laughed.

Jack hummed thoughtfully. “Kenny. I wouldn’t be talking about it so early with anybody but you.”

Kent closed his eyes and let Jack’s words wash over him. “I wish I could be with you right now, Zimms.”

“Me too, Kenny.”

“I’ll see you soon, though, right?”

“Yeah, bud. You’ll be here in no time.”

“Good.”

They sat together in silence for a few moments, enjoying their baths and each others’ presence.

“I’m getting pruny.”

“Hah. Me too.” The sound of water splashing around came from Jack’s end of the line. “I’m gonna go to bed now, I think.”

Kent sighed and sat up, reaching for the drain. “Yeah, that’s probably a good idea. I’ve got some tape to watch, anyway.”

“Kenny.”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you.”

“Of course, Zimms.”

“I love you. _So much_.”

Kent swallowed. “Me too, Zimms. I love you more than anything.”

“And I can’t wait to be your husband someday.”

Kent tilted his head back and ignored the way his eyes were too watery. “Me neither.” He cleared his throat. “I expect a ring by the end of the year, Zimmermann.”

Jack laughed. “You have my word.”

“Good. Now go to bed, you weird old man.”

“I’m younger than you, Kenny.”

“Exactly. And your bedtime makes you look seventy.”

“You know I can’t do mornings if I’m up late!”

“Uh huh. Whatever helps you feel better about it, babe.”

Jack chuckled. “Okay, fine. I’m an old man and I’m going to go to bed at a reasonable hour and have domestic fucking dreams about my boyfriend until I wake up at the ass-crack of dawn. How does that sound?”

Kent was grinning. “That sounds perfect, Zimms.”

“Good night, Kenny.”

“Good night, Zimms. Sleep well and sweet dreams.”

“Mmm. See you in them.”

“Love you.”

“Love you, too.”


End file.
